Capacity Partnership Group helps leaders and their organizations prepare for the future. Get ready, the future is closer than you think.

19 June 2007

Starting a charitable nonprofit

Welcome back!

This question comes from Northern Ireland, United Kingdom:

I would like information about setting up a charity, can you advise? I am based in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Can you point me in the right direction?

I am afraid that the most common answer to this question would be related to the mechanics of setting up a government sanctioned nonprofit corporation. This is my answer:

Clearly there will be the technical aspect of papers to file and government agencies with regulations to follow. Those things will be specific to wherever you exist and do your work. The real questions in my mind and the place to start, is to answer these questions, and to do it with some other people who share your passion.

Who is it that will benefit from the the charitable activity?

What will that benefit be?

Among competing values, what will be the most important thing to accomplish considering the costs?

In other words, when all the effort, money, passion, tears, work, have been accomplished--what will be the exchange in the world? Will it be worth the effort? Answering my three questions above will be the start of getting to the that bigger answer.

Even answering these questions may not be of much value unless the answers are somehow put into force to guide the organization to accomplish what it should, for whom and at what relative value.

Our consultancy services add value by setting up a systemic approach to implement this accountability structure: Hold the organization accountable for what it should accomplish, avoid unacceptable situations and circumstance.